Delhi: Worker dies after head gets stuck under lift in factory

No arrest has been made so far. Police have identified the factory owner and have dispatched a team to track him.

A 20-year-old lift operator died after his head got stuck under a lift in a factory in Jhilmil Industrial Area Saturday evening. Police have registered a case under IPC sections 304-(A) (causing death by negligence) and 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) at Seemapuri police station.

No arrest has been made so far. Police have identified the factory owner and have dispatched a team to track him. Police are looking into whether the lift malfunctioned.

The victim, Puneet, had been working at the factory for the past two months. His job involved manually operating the lift, police said.

"The person inside the lift has to put his hand out and push a button to start it. It has malfunctioned multiple times. Sometimes, it stops suddenly and there are times when it gathers pace while descending. We have complained to the owner multiple times in this regard, but he has not listened to us," the FIR, filed by worker Jawahar Singh, read.

Singh has been working at the factory, which manufactures water taps, for the past two years. While Singh is in charge of polishing the taps, Puneet would move the finished taps into the lift.

Singh also told police that requests for safety gear such as goggles, helmets and even boots made by the employees were disregarded. Around 6 pm on Saturday, Singh was working on the first floor and saw Puneet operating the lift. A few minutes later, an e-rickshaw driver, Narsingh, came to the factory. "Narsingh usually takes the finished products in his e-rickshaw. He also helps shift the packages from the lift. He was the one who spotted Puneet's head stuck under the lift. By then, Puneet was bleeding heavily from his head," said a police officer.

Workers managed to pull him out but he had fainted. Police were called and Puneet was taken to a local hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Police questioned workers, following which they invoked IPC Section 287 in the case.